快速登录:  

Forum: Old versions

话题: Asorted Software Guides (common fixes and tweaks and how 2's)

由于该帖子已年深日久,可能包含陈旧过时或描述错误的信息。

sbangsPRO InfinityMember since 2004
Welcome in the following guides we shall cover the following issues.

1. installing two or more operating systems
2. tweaking windows xp
3. tweaking vista
4. virtual memory and ram
5. hardrive issues
6. general issues
7. mk2 dj console latency fix
8. broadcasting
9 midi mapping

more coming soon

request a guide here
http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/62777/General_Discussion/guides_you_would_like_to_see_in_2007.html



1. Dual Booting and multiple os installation guide



lets assume you have already an install of xp but you want to install another XP

or perhaps you are feeling radical windows vista ;)
So Your computer boot-up OK, Windows XP is installed on the C:
Formatting destroys the data in the areas of the disk it partitions, so be sure to make a backup copy of all the information on your disk before formatting your drive or partition it. If your installing a new second hard drive then you don't need to backup the new drive, but you should consider backing-up your data on the first (master ) hard drive.
If you have a second hardrive you wish to use ignore the next step: =)
Step one, lets make a new part ion using disk management id advise splitting your drive in half equally for best proformance
Disk Management tool - To partition your new hard drive), you need to use the Disk Management tool, this is a tool straight from the old work-horse Windows 2000. To run Disk Management Tool, click on Start, right-click My Computer, and select Manage from the menu that appears.
When you see the Computer Management window, click the Disk Management item listed underneath the Storage heading. You then see the main Disk Management pane in the right side of the Computer Management window.
Tip: Windows XP doesn't provide a way to resize partitions later, but you can use a third-party program like PartitionMagic to do so.
Tip: Before working with partitions and drives, be sure to back up the important files on your system.
Note: The Disk Management program replaces the Fdisk program that was part of previous versions of Windows.


Creating the partition: Unallocated space appears as an Unknown Partition in the Disk Management diagram, you can use it to create a new partition in some or all of the space. To create your new partition, you need to right-click on the part of the diagram that represents the unallocated space, the unallocated space has a black stripe running along the top and then choose the "New Partition" on the menu that appears. To create your new logical drive in an extended partition that has free space
The free space has a light green strip along the top, right-click on the free space then choose New Logical Drive from the menu that appears. Now you will see the New Partition Wizard.
The Partition Wizard will asks you to specify the following:
1 The Type - Primary, extended, or logical partition. Your hard drive can contain up to four primary partitions, or three primary partitions and one extended partition. Choose the primary partition if you are created a partition in which you will install an operating system (this is unusual situation). Choose extended if you plan to create several logical partitions within it. The logical partition type is available only if you choose to create the new partition in an extended partition with some free space.
2 The Size - You may use the entire available space, or leave room for more partitions. The Partition Wizard will displays the minimum and maximum size for the partition, this is based on the space where it will be stored
3 The Drive letter or path - Two operating system on your computer. You may select any unused letter, but the wizard will offer the next available drive letter. To Mount in the following empty NTFS Folder, you need an NTFS partition with a drive letter on the same machine. You may select the "Do Not Assign A Drive Letter Or Drive Path" option, this will let Windows assign a letter later, usually the default drive letter.
4 The File system - The default is NTFS (recommended), but you can use FAT32 (not recommended) as well. Both NTFS and FAT32 will efficiently utilize disk space on large drives.
Note: NTFS has better security features, the better recovery capabilities after a major crash, and has file-level compression built in. NTFS will also give you the option of enable compression.
5 The Label - Type a name for the partition, name it something that will indicating what you will use it for, data files, my files, fatboy one, etc.


Selecting the Active Partition:
If you partition your hard drive among multiple operating systems, one of the partitions is the active partition, the partition from which your computer starts. If you run Windows only, the primary partition is always active. In Windows XP you can change this behavior manually by selecting another partition as active using the Disk Management pane in the Computer Management window.
Right-click on the drive or the partition that you want to make active and select Mark Partition As Active from the menu that appears. You can only make this change to primary partitions. Extended partitions and logical drives cannot be made active. Only one partition is active at a time, so make sure it's a partition that contains a bootable operating system
(This is the one with your fist Xp install.)
Step 2.
Reboot and go into bios
Usually press f1 or 2
And change the boot order to Cdrom , hardisk , other
Now reboot , place the install disk in and wait for it to load

Press Enter to install os

Then F8 to agree to the many conditions
Then you will arrive at a list of drives you will notice your nice new partion is there , or your other hardrive =)
Choose to install on this and now follow the normal steps of installing XP/ Vista
Ie filling in your personal details , serial number and language
Once this has completed reboot and

You will be greeted with the choose os screen

the oldest os will be the first in the list
“C:/ xp”
“e:/xp” will be second
now if your lucky all the drivers where included in xp.
however if it wasn’t have your driver disks handy for the next steps
go to device manager
by going to my computer and right clicking and pressing “properties”
then go to the hardware tab and press device manager , now if you see devices highlighted in yellow their drivers are missing , install them , ie VGA driver = video card
sound = soundcard
ect .
now
install the software you want to use on this copy of xp ie vdj
and your good to go !!!!
hope that helps you in your multiple os adventure you can install many os copies
however it is not sensible to install more than 4 , at one time
if you want to test many os , try “vmware” http://www.vmware.com/
which similates a pc or a mac on you destop computer
in a tabbed window many images of computers built already are available.
Goodluck !
Got any questions please email them to
help@skyfxlmedia.com

2. Tweak Xp

heres some pointers

1. Eliminate programs that run at start-up
Stopping programs from running at start-up is especially daunting because there is no single place you can go to halt them all. Some run because they're in the Startup folder, others because they're part of logon scripts, others because of Registry settings, and so on. But with a little bit of perseverance, you should be able to keep them from running.

Start by cleaning out your Startup folder. Find it in C:Documents and SettingsusernameStart MenuProgramsStartup, where username is your Windows logon name. Delete the shortcuts of any programs you don't want to run on start-up. As with any shortcuts, when you delete them, you're deleting only the shortcut, not the program itself. (You can also clear out the start-up items by going to Start > Programs > Startup, then right-clicking items you want to remove.)





Next, clean out your Scheduled Tasks folder. Go to C:WindowsTasks, and delete the shortcuts of any programs that you don't want to run automatically on a schedule.

Note: You can bypass all the programs in your Startup folder on an as-needed basis. To stop XP from loading any programs in the Startup folder, hold down the Shift key during bootup. No programs in the Startup folder will run, but the items will still remain there so that they will start up as they would normally the next time you boot.


Using the system configuration utility
Taking the previous steps will stop the obvious programs from running at start-up, but it won't kill them all. The best tool for disabling hidden programs that run on start-up is the System Configuration Utility. To run it, type msconfig at a command prompt, and press Enter. (If that doesn't work, first do a search for msconfig.exe; when you find the file, double-click it.)

To stop a program from running at start-up, go to the Startup tab in this utility, and uncheck the box next to the program. It can sometimes be difficult to understand what programs are listed on the Startup tab. Some, such as America Online, are clearly labeled. But often, you'll see a phrase or collection of letters, such as fs20. That's the name of the running file--such as fs20.exe, which is Free Surfer mk II, an excellent free pop-up killer.


To get more information about a listing, expand the width of the Command column near the top of the Startup tab. Expand it enough and you'll see the start-up command that the program issues, including its location, such as C:Program FilesFree Surferfs20.exe. The directory location should be another hint to help you know the name of the program.


When stopping programs from running at start-up, it's best to stop them one at a time rather than in groups. You want to make sure that you're not causing any system problems by stopping them. So stop one, then restart your PC. If it runs fine, then stop another and restart. Continue doing this until you've cleared all the programs you don't want to run automatically.


Each time you uncheck a box and restart your PC, you'll get a warning that you've used the System Configuration Utility to disable a program from starting automatically. If you don't want to see that warning, disable it by checking the box in the dialog itself.

After you've used the system configuration utility to identify programs that run on start-up, you may want to try disabling them from with the programs themselves. So run each program that starts automatically, and see if you can find a setting that allows you to prevent it from running on start-up.


2. tweak xp

Speed up shutdown times

It's not only start-up that you'd like to speed up; you can also make sure that your system shuts down faster. If shutting down XP takes what seems to be an inordinate amount of time, here are a couple of steps you can take to speed up the shutdown process:

Don't have XP clear your paging file at shutdown. For security reasons, you can have XP clear your paging file (pagefile.sys) of its contents whenever you shut down. Your paging file is used to store temporary files and data, but when your system shuts down, information stays in the file. Some people prefer to have the paging file cleared at shutdown because sensitive information such as unencrypted passwords sometimes ends up in the file. However, clearing the paging file can slow shutdown times significantly, so if extreme security isn't a high priority, you might not want to clear it. To shut down XP without clearing your paging file, run the Registry Editor (click Start > Run, then type regedit in the Run box) and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory Management


Change the value of ClearPageFileAtShutdown to 0. Close the Registry, and restart your computer. Whenever you turn off XP from now on, the paging file won't be cleared, and you should be able to shut down more quickly.

Note: Please be careful when editing the Registry; you can do a lot of damage here. Don't change or delete anything unless you know exactly what it is



Constantly running in the background of XP are services--processes that help the operating system run or that provide support to applications. Many of these services launch automatically at start-up. While you need many of them, some are not required, and they can slow down your system when they run in the background.

You can disable services at start-up by using the system configuration utility, similar to the way that you halt programs from running at start-up, except that you use the Services tab instead of the Startup tab. But the system configuration utility doesn't necessarily list every service that launches on start-up. A bigger problem is that disabling services is more of shot in the dark than disabling programs. When you disable a program, you can get a sense of what the program does. But when you disable a service through the system configuration utility, there's often no way to know what it does.

A better way of disabling services at start-up is via the Services computer-management console. Run it by typing services.msc at the command prompt. The Services computer-management console includes a description of all services so that you can know ahead of time whether a particular service is one you want to turn off. It also lets you pause the service so that you can test your machine and see whether that service is needed.


After you run the console, click the Extended tab. This view will show you a description of each service in the left pane when you highlight the service. The Startup Type column shows you which services launch on start-up--any with Automatic in that field. Click that column to sort together all the services that automatically launch on start-up. Then highlight each of those services and read the descriptions.


When you find a service you want to disable, right-click it and choose Properties. In the Properties dialog box that appears, choose Manual from the Startup Type drop-down list. The service won't start automatically from now on, but you can start it manually via the console. If you want the service disabled so that it can't be run, choose Disabled. To test the results, turn off any services that you don't want to run by clicking Stop The Service in the left pane, or by right-clicking the service and choosing Stop.


Here is a list of some common services you might want to stop from running at start-up.
Service What it does
Portable Media Serial Number Retrieves the serial number of a portable music player attached to your PC.
Task Scheduler Schedules unattended tasks to be run. If you don't schedule any unattended tasks, turn it off.
Uninterruptible Power Supply Manages an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) connected to your PC.
Automatic Updates Automatically checks for Windows updates. (You can check manually by going to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.)
Telnet (service available on XP Pro only) Allows a remote user to log in to your computer and run programs. (This will not be found on all versions of XP Pro.)
Wireless Zero Configuration Service Automatically configures a Wi-Fi (802.11) network card. Disable this only if you're not using a Wi-Fi network card.

Source

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10165_7-5554402-1.html

go to the website there be alot of useful videos there aslo for speeding your pc up

is this all a bit daunting and dont wana do it ur self? www.iolo.com try this program its safe and there is a 2 month demo

Hope this helps people in some way :)

Regards

Skyfxl




DJ

3. tweak vista

Windows Vista™ System Requirements

While Microsoft have not officially published requirements for Longhorn this is what we would reccomend as the minimum for a smooth running Windows Vista™ Install, these guidelines will allow you to run DWM (Glass).

2.4 GHz Intel Pentium 4 Processor or higher; 1.6 GHz AMD Athlon/Opteron/Athon 64 /Pentium M
Nvidia GeForce FX5200 or higher/ATI Radeon 9500 or higher
512+MB of RAM
8 GB of free hard disk space

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Explorer Performance Tweaks

Click Start, Run. Type "control folders". Press OK.
Click the View tab. Modify the settings as shown below.

Check:

Always show icons, never thumbnails
Display the contents of system folders
Show hidden files and folders
Uncheck:

Automatically search for network folders and printers
Hide extensions for known file types
Use Domain Folder Sharing Wizard
Click Start, right click on "Computer", and click Properties.
Click on the Advanced tab. Under Performance, click Settings.
Uncheck these options:
Note: None of these options affect DWM functionality.

Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing
Fade or slide menus into view
Fade or slide tooltips into view
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show shadows under menus
Slide open combo boxes
Slide taskbar buttons
Use a background image for each folder type
Close the Performance Options & System Properties dialogs.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disable Unneeded Services

As I stated earlier in this guide, Windows Vista™ is pretty stable out of the box. The following list of services do not *need* to be disabled but I reccomend it since they only serve to annoy you anyway (Security Center, anyone?)

Disable the following:

Automatic Updates
Idwlog Service
Peer Name Resolution Protocol
Peer Networking Identity Manager
Pnrp Auto Registration
Pen Service
Security Center
NOTE: The Peer services are disabled because of a possible security issue with them and weird connections that have been reported when doing netstat -a.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fix for 2 Boot Menus When Dual Booting With Another OS

This will get you down to only 1 boot screen.

It is really easy: On my system my main drive has two partitions. One for XP
and the other for Vista.

My XP installation is on C: and my Vista installation is on F:

I copied the F:WindowsSystem32winload.exe (Vista Installation) file to
C:WindowsSystem32 (XP Installation)

Then I edited the boot.ini file as follows:

Original boot.ini:
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /FASTDETECT /NOEXECUTE=ALWAYSOFF
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows Longhorn"
/NOEXECUTE=ALWAYSOFF /FASTDETECT /USENEWLOADER

New Boot.ini:
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /FASTDETECT /NOEXECUTE=ALWAYSOFF /USENEWLOADER
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows Longhorn"
/NOEXECUTE=ALWAYSOFF /FASTDETECT /USENEWLOADER

As you can see I just added the /USENEWLOADER switch to the XP Installation.

NOTE: Doing this may cause a code 10 error with Asus SCSI cards using LSI53C875 drivers. - Thanks Scott for the info.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Issue With Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Series Cards

There is an issue with the Sound Blaster Audigy series of cards (Audigy, Audigy 2, Audigy 2 ZS etc...) that consists of distorted and studdering sound when using the CREATIVE drivers.

To solve the problem download the KX project drivers HERE.

Other Possibilities Include using a modded set of Audigy 2 ZS Drivers that work with Audigy 1's and Live's. I have installed these drivers and the seem to work perfectly.

You can download those drivers from ngohq.com, but at the time of this writing the site is down. If someone is willing to host the driver file (22.8 MB) please contact me.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Issue with the Language Bar in Vista and Office XP/2003

So I tripped over a rather huge bug in Vista Beta 1 today. It involves that god forsaken language bar. If you try to change it to hidden in the control panel your computer will BSOD with an error in the video card driver file, which completely throws you off as to the cause of the crash. It also occurs at random when in MS Word doing something (My brother discovered that part of this evil bug). So the easy workaround is to disable the Language Bar, here is how to do just that (Method works on Office XP and Office 2003 Installations):

Step 1: Uninstall Alternative User Input
To uninstall the alternative user input feature, set the installation state to Not Available in Office XP Setup.

Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows XP: 1. Quit all Office programs.
2. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. NOTE: In Windows XP, click Start and then click Control Panel.

3. In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.NOTE: In Windows XP, click Add or Remove Programs.

4. In the Currently installed programs list, click to select Microsoft Office XP/2003 product, where Office XP/2003 product is the name of the specific Office product being used. If you are using a standalone version of one of the Office programs, click to select the appropriate product in the list. Click Change.
5. In the Maintenance Mode Options dialog box, select Add or Remove Features, and then click Next. This displays the Choose installation options for all Office applications and tools dialog box.
6. Click the plus sign (+) next to Office Shared Features to expand it.
7. Click the icon next to Alternative User Input, and then select Not Available.
8. Click Update.
NOTE: If you have multiple Office XP/2003 products installed, for example, Office XP/2003 Professional and Frontpage 2002/2003, you must repeat the preceding steps for each installed product.
Step 2: Remove Alternative User Input Services from Text Services
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, double-click Text Services.NOTE: In Windows XP, click Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options, and then click Regional and Language Options. On the Languages tab, click Details.

3. Under Installed Services, select each input item that is listed, and then click Remove to remove the item. All items must be removed, one by one, except the following input service:

English (United States)- default Keyboard United States 101
Step 3: Run Regsvr32 /U on the Msimtf.dll and Msctf.dll Files
1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. In the Run dialog box, type the following command:
Regsvr32.exe /u msimtf.dll
3. Click OK.
4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for the Msctf.dll file.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Internet Explorer 7 User Agent String

This was posted over at the IE MSDN Blog. It outlines how to change the user agent string back to IE6 so that things like Microsoft Beta chats will work (they seem to puke if they detect IE7):

Simply save the following as IE7UA.REG. Double-click the file to merge it into your registry and restart the browser to see the change.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInternet Settings5.0User Agent]
“Version”=”MSIE 6.0”

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInternet SettingsUser AgentPost Platform]
“SV1″=-

You can easily undo the change by saving and merging the following IE7Undo.reg.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInternet Settings5.0User Agent]
“Version”=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInternet SettingsUser AgentPost Platform]
“SV1″=”"
4.
virtual memory and ram
In the next series of guides I will be talking about the key parts of a computer which affect the speed of virtual dj and your computer
I have learnt this information recently on a course called Compita A+
If you would like to learn more about building and supporting computers this is a good course





And some tips to configure them to there highest performance

Part one

Ram and Virtual Memory

To get the most out of your pc you need good memory as all audio is loaded into ram before playing in virtual dj
Also the more ram you have the larger the songs you can load and the faster it will load
Also you will be able to multitask more easily
Also as I mentioned in my guide about broadcasting the more ram you have theoretically the more listeners you can have when you use your pc as a server
http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/59741/General_Discussion/The_Ultimate_Guide_to_Broadcasting_With_Virtual_Dj_).html

to learn how much ram you have in your computer the simplest way to find this out is to
go to my computer and rightclick and press properties

you will see at the bottom of the window the amount of ram you have
lets take a moment to look at the common types of ram

here are the standard pc types of ram
SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)
Almost all systems used to ship with 3.3 volt, 168-pin SDRAM DIMMs. SDRAM is not an extension of older EDO DRAM but a new type of DRAM altogether. SDRAM started out running at 66 MHz, while older fast page mode DRAM and EDO max out at 50 MHz. SDRAM is able to scale to 133 MHz (PC133) officially, and unofficially up to 180MHz or higher. As processors get faster, new generations of memory such as DDR and RDRAM are required to get proper performance.

DDR (Double Data Rate SDRAM)
DDR basically doubles the rate of data transfer of standard SDRAM by transferring data on the up and down tick of a clock cycle. DDR memory operating at 333MHz actually operates at 166MHz * 2 (aka PC333 / PC2700) or 133MHz*2 (PC266 / PC2100). DDR is a 2.5 volt technology that uses 184 pins in its DIMMs. It is incompatible with SDRAM physically, but uses a similar parallel bus, making it easier to implement than RDRAM, which is a different technology.

DDR is easily identifiable by the two notches in the side
Rambus DRAM (RDRAM)
Despite it's higher price, Intel has given RDRAM it's blessing for the consumer market, and it will be the sole choice of memory for Intel's Pentium 4. RDRAM is a serial memory technology that arrived in three flavors, PC600, PC700, and PC800. PC800 RDRAM has double the maximum throughput of old PC100 SDRAM, but a higher latency. RDRAM designs with multiple channels, such as those in Pentium 4 motherboards, are currently at the top of the heap in memory throughput, especially when paired with PC1066 RDRAM memory.

Dram is easily identifiable as it only has one notch on the side
DIMMs vs. RIMMs
DRAM comes in two major form factors: DIMMs and RIMMS.
DIMMs are 64-bit components, but if used in a motherboard with a dual-channel configuration (like with an Nvidia nForce chipset) you must pair them to get maximum performance. So far there aren't many DDR chipset that use dual-channels. Typically, if you want to add 512 MB of DIMM memory to your machine, you just pop in a 512 MB DIMM if you've got an available slot. DIMMs for SDRAM and DDR are different, and not physically compatible. SDRAM DIMMs have 168-pins and run at 3.3 volts, while DDR DIMMs have 184-pins and run at 2.5 volts.
RIMMs use only a 16-bit interface but run at higher speeds than DDR. To get maximum performance, Intel RDRAM chipsets require the use of RIMMs in pairs over a dual-channel 32-bit interface. You have to plan more when upgrading and purchasing RDRAM.
Memory Speed
SDRAM initially shipped at a speed of 66MHz. As memory buses got faster, it was pumped up to 100MHz, and then 133MHz. The speed grades are referred to as PC66 (unofficially), PC100 and PC133 SDRAM respectively. Some manufacturers are shipping a PC150 speed grade. However, this is an unofficial speed rating, and of little use unless you plan to overclock your system.
DDR comes in PC1600, PC2100, PC2700 and PC3200 DIMMs. A PC1600 DIMM is made up of PC200 DDR chips, while a PC2100 DIMM is made up of PC266 chips. PC2700 uses PC333 DDR chips and PC3200 uses PC400 chips that haven't gained widespread support. Go for PC2700 DDR. It is about the cost of PC2100 memory and will give you better performance.
RDRAM comes in PC600, PC700, PC800 and PC1066 speeds. Go for PC1066 RDRAM if you can find it. If you can't, PC800 RDRAM is widely available.
CAS Latency
SDRAM comes with latency ratings or "CAS (Column Address Strobe) latency" ratings. Standard PC100 / PC133 SDRAM comes in CAS 2 or CAS 3 speed ratings. The lower latency of CAS 2 memory will give you more performance. It also costs a bit more, but it's worth it.
DDR memory comes in CAS 2 and CAS 2.5 ratings, with CAS 2 costing more and performing better.
RDRAM has no CAS latency ratings, but may eventually come in 32 and 4 bank forms with 32-bank RDRAM costing more and performing better. For now, it's all 32-bank RDRAM.
The more you pay for your ram the better the latency
Understanding Cache
Cache Memory is fast memory that serves as a buffer between the processor and main memory. The cache holds data that was recently used by the processor and saves a trip all the way back to slower main memory. The memory structure of PCs is often thought of as just main memory, but it's really a five or six level structure:
The first two levels of memory are contained in the processor itself, consisting of the processor's small internal memory, or registers, and L1 cache, which is the first level of cache, usually contained in the processor.
The third level of memory is the L2 cache, usually contained on the motherboard. However, the Celeron chip from Intel actually contains 128K of L2 cache within the form factor of the chip. More and more chip makers are planning to put this cache on board the processor itself. The benefit is that it will then run at the same speed as the processor, and cost less to put on the chip than to set up a bus and logic externally from the processor.
The fourth level, is being referred to as L3 cache. This cache used to be the L2 cache on the motherboard, but now that some processors include L1 and L2 cache on the chip, it becomes L3 cache. Usually, it runs slower than the processor, but faster than main memory.
The fifth level (or fourth if you have no "L3 cache") of memory is the main memory itself.
The sixth level is a piece of the hard disk used by the Operating System, usually called virtual memory. Most operating systems use this when they run out of main memory, but some use it in other ways as well.
This six-tiered structure is designed to efficiently speed data to the processor when it needs it, and also to allow the operating system to function when levels of main memory are low. You might ask, "Why is all this necessary?" The answer is cost. If there were one type of super-fast, super-cheap memory, it could theoretically satisfy the needs of this entire memory architecture. This will probably never happen since you don't need very much cache memory to drastically improve performance, and there will always be a faster, more expensive alternative to the current form of main memory.
The more cache memory you have the faster your processor will run
now each computers motherboard takes a specific type of ram like enzymes in biology only the right type of ram will fit in the slot
to work out what ram your pc takes use this free tool
http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/
this tool will tell you what memory is installed
how much your machine will support and what upgrades are available for your pc[/size]
the more ram you have the faster your machine will operate until it reaches its peak.
Its important to remember that your computer runs at the speed of the lowest component
So if your disk drive is only 30,000 rpm it will be slower than you could be on a 75,000 rpm
Rpm (rotations per minute)
So its important when upgrading to upgrade all your main components if possible

installing ram on a desktop pc

there are two general types of ram slot in a desktop pc

the first type requires that you put the ram in the slot and then pop it in

the second more common slot requires you to press the slot downwards

you will find the slot usually on the right of your motherboard this varies via boards

most pcs have 4 ram slots with rimm memory all ram slots must be filled you can buy blanking panels to complete the circuits
With laptops it’s a slightly different story
they take sodimm memory which is a reduced form of ddr
many laptops are a sealed unit which you have to send back to the manufacturer to be upgraded
call them and they will advise on prices and upgrades available , your local pc repair shop can help also
if you are lucky and have a laptop that has access panels or a removable keyboard

for removable keyboards
for access panels you simply slot the ram in

most laptops have 2 ram slots
when you buy ram from will also give u a manual for more in-depth information for your model of pc[/colour]

[color=green]virtual memory
Virtual memory is a feature of windows 2000 + which allows extra memory to be simulated as a file on your pc called the swap/page file , the larger this is the more stable your pc will be
To learn how big your page file is and how well it is proforming press ALT + CONTROL + DEL


When the physical memory (RAM) is used up, XP looks to the paging file for help by paging out its excess requirements. The timing of when this occurs is based on your hardware and the load the computer is experiencing. A sure sign that your computer is under excessive load and making use of the page file is when you experience 'disk thrashing', or a continual writing of data to and from the hard drive. The information that is most useful relating to page files is found in the Physical Memory (K), Commit Charge (K), and Kernel Memory (K) sections. The Totals section is more useful to developers and except for the Processes totals won't enter into this discussion. Read through the explanations below and then we'll see how they apply to the page file.
Commit Charge (K) - The values displayed in this section are in kilobytes (K/KB). To convert to megabytes (MB), divide by 1024.
• Total: The total amount of physical (RAM) and virtual (Page File) memory currently being used by the operating system and all open applications. This value will increase as applications and files are opened and decrease when they are closed. Commit Charge is also displayed in the lower right side of Task Manager. Dividing the Total (183692) by conversion factor of (1024) yields 179 MB, or the same amount shown lower right by Commit Charge: 179M/1878M.
• Limit: The total amount of physical (RAM) and virtual (Page File) memory that is currently available to the operating system and applications. There are two ways to change this value; install additional RAM or increase the size of the page file. Dividing the Limit (1923908) by conversion factor of (1024) yields 1878 MB, or the same amount shown lower right by Commit Charge: 179M/1878M
• Peak: A combined measure of the physical (RAM) and virtual (Page File) memory that has been used during the current windows session. If the Peak value approaches the Limit value it's a good indication the system needs more memory.
Physical Memory (K) - The values displayed in this section are in kilobytes (K/KB). To convert to megabytes (MB), divide by 1024.
• Total: The total amount of physical (RAM) memory installed in the computer. Dividing the Total (785908) by conversion factor of (1024) yields 768 MB, or the same amount verifiable by right clicking on My Computer then clicking Properties to open the System Properties sheet.
• Available: The total amount of physical (RAM) memory that XP will allow programs to use before it switches to virtual (Page File) memory. By default, XP reserves a quantity of the physical memory for additional demands rather than depleting it totally before accessing the page file. Dividing the Total (520136) by conversion factor of (1024) yields 508 MB. Subtracting the 508 MB Available from the 768 MB Total shows XP has reserved 260MB at this particular point in time.
• System Cache: The amount of physical (RAM) memory that is currently being used to store recently accessed programs and data. By default, Windows XP uses as much physical (RAM) memory as possible to cache programs and data. Dividing the Total (550836) by conversion factor of (1024) yields 537 MB available to the system cache. This one setting alone demonstrates the value of installing extra physical memory. XP automatically releases the system cache memory when it's needed by the operating system or other programs.
Kernel Memory (K): The kernel manages the basic operations of the operating system so it's no surprise that it demands memory to accomplish its function. The values displayed in this section are in kilobytes (K/KB). To convert to megabytes (MB), divide by 1024.
• Total: The total amount of physical (RAM) memory that XP uses for core component operations, including drivers for installed devices. Dividing the Total (64372) by conversion factor of (1024) yields 63MB, or approximately 8% of the installed total. On the example machine I'm using for this discussion, the 63MB is a small portion of the 768 MB total installed physical (RAM) memory. However, on a machine that only has 128MB of RAM, the percentage soars to 49% of the installed total. It's easy to see why the recommended minimum RAM for XP is 128MB and 64MB is the absolute minimum supported. Less than 64MB would not be able to support the core components.
• Paged: The total mount of physical (RAM) memory that XP core components are using that are currently mapped to virtual (Page File) memory. Dividing the Total (48144) by conversion factor of (1024) yields 47MB.
• Non-Paged: The total mount of physical (RAM) memory that XP core components are using that cannot be mapped to virtual (Page File) memory. Dividing the Total (16228) by conversion factor of (1024) yields 16MB. Adding the total of Paged (47MB) and Non-Paged (16MB) yields 63MB, or the total Kernel Memory required for core and driver operations in Windows XP.

To change the size of the virtual memory paging file


You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.

Step one go to my computer

Step two right click properties
Step Three go to the advanced tab

Step four press settings in the box called proformance

You will now see this screen
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/0-blog-pics/windows-xp-swap-config.jpg" border="0">
now there are 3 options 1. a custom size 2. a system managed size 3. no page file!

1. a setting between 500-2gig is good in machines with more ram use less , if you have less ram but a large hard rive go for about 1-2 gigs
2. a system managed page file windows adjusts the file as needed this is good if you are unsure what settings to choose but it can lead to some problems when windows doesn’t work it out correctly
3. having no page file is for systems with large amounts of ram which don’t need page files , I recommend however you keep a small page file just incase of about 200 meg

Some final tips

there are tools to clear out your ram when it starts to clog up
such as http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Best/ram-cleanup.html
and this website shows how to clear your page file on shut down this will help it to proform better
http://netsecurity.about.com/od/windowsxp/qt/aa071004.htm
shut your machine down when you arnt using it this refreshes your ram
if you use a machine constantly with out ever shutting it down it will get slower and slower
defrag your page file this can be done with www.diskkeeper.com (disk keeper 2007)
I hope this proves useful for you
If you have any problems or need some advise
Send me an email at admin@skyfxlmedia.com :)

5.

Hard Drives

Your hard disk plays a significant role in the following important aspects of your computer system:
Performance: The hard disk plays a very important role in overall system performance, probably more than most people recognize.
The speed at which the PC boots up and programs load is directly related to hard disk speed. The hard disk's performance is also critical when multitasking is being used or when processing large amounts of data such as graphics work, editing sound and video, or working with databases.
And as I mentioned in the guide on memory http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/59957/General_Discussion/ultimate_guide_to_ram_and_virtual_memory__).html
The harddrive also stores your page file which boosts your ram
Storage Capacity: This is kind of obvious, but a bigger hard disk lets you store more programs and data.
Software Support: Newer software needs more space and faster hard disks to load it efficiently. It's easy to remember when 1 GB was a lot of disk space; heck, it's even easy to remember when 100 MB was a lot of disk space! Now a PC with even 1 GB is considered by many to be "crippled", since it can barely hold modern (inflated) operating system files and a complement of standard business software.
Reliability: One way to assess the importance of an item of hardware is to consider how much grief is caused if it fails. By this standard, the hard disk is the most important component by a long shot. As I often say, hardware can be replaced, but data cannot. A good quality hard disk, combined with smart maintenance and backup habits, can help ensure that the nightmare loosing all of your music files

Types of hard drive
SATA , is the newer system than ide new dell computers only support sata drives as they have a faster transfer rate if possible get a sata drive if your computer supports it

sata cable has a faster transfer rate
3.5 inch (desktop)


install guide for sata drive
2.5 inch (laptop)

for laptops it varies from system to system consult your manufacturer
IDE is the old system still used in many computers

ide cable
Ide is also available in 2.5 and 3.5 variants

3.5
2.5



Now you can config all of these drives as a master or a slave
A master drive which contains the boot os , a slave drive doesn’t boot and contains data
You can change this setting by adjusting the jumpers on the drive

as you can see the board is marked with what the pins are ie master and slave if you want the bios to work out whether the drive is primary or secondary for you select cable select place the master on IDE0 or 1 (lowest possible number) and slave on 1 or 2 (next possible cable)

EXTERNAL
Example external hard drive

they now come in sizes up to 700 gb
you can make your own very cheaply buy buying a used laptop hard rive on ebay
and using an external hd enclosure
http://www.xpcgear.com/enclosures.html


Tips for improving hardrive performance :
Run frequent defrags (the built in defrag program in windows xp is terrible use http://www.diskeeper.com/)
On disk keeper or you defrag program you can setup a boot time defrag this gives the defrag program enhanced access to the drive
As I mentioned in the memory guide if you do this it allows you to defrag the swap file which boosts performance drastically doing this once a month will make your hardrive perform better
And as the hardrive does not have to work as hard loading many fragments it will last longer

this diagram shows the effect of having a fragmented hardrive has on you pc
some full drives of music which are not defragged regularly can be as bad as this

so its important to defrag regulary on internal and external drives to keep them in tip top condition

here are some links to compare hardrive prices
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=48607&TabID=1&source=1&doy=16m11 – special offer on external drives in the uk
http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/computing/storage/harddrives/
http://computing.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/c_116501_hard_drives.html

I hope this guide proves useful to you
If you need additional help email me or send a message via msn to admin@skyfxlmedia.com

6. common fixes


lower your performance tab and choose “auto latency”
still not working ?
When using USB devices such as soundcards

Controllers are given an irq number

If two devices happen to have the same number this leads to issues such as popping , poor sound quality , constant crashes controller failures and a wide range of issues

What is an IRQ

IRQ stands for Interrupt ReQuest and refers to special numbered channels that are used by devices to get the processors attention, for example, when you press a key on your keyboard this sends a signal to the processor via an IRQ channel (usually IRQ 1) to let it know that it needs to process some data.

IRQ conflicts can occur when new hardware is installed or reconfigured, for example, it can cause problems if you have your mouse on COM 1 (IRQ4) and a modem on COM 3 (IRQ4), below is a list of the default assignments for IRQ channels in Windows XP.


Not all devices require IRQ lines, which is good news because in modern (post IBM XT) computers, we only have 16 of them. Of those, 3 are already dedicated to the main system board itself - the system timer, keyboard, and memory parity error signal. That leaves only 13 for all the other devices connected to your computer. This is why IRQ conflicts are probably the #1 problem faced by computer users when they add hardware to their computer.

Example Conflicts


Example Conflicts



IRQ DEVICE USED in AT, 386, 486, and Pentium Computers
0 System Timer
1 Keyboard Controller
2 Tied to IRQs 8-15
3 COM 2
4 COM 1
5 LPT2 or Sound Card
6 Floppy Diskette Controller
7 LPT 1
8 Real Time Clock
9 Substitutes for IRQ 2
10 Not Assigned
11 Not Assigned
12 PS/2 Mouse Port
13 NPU (Numerical Processing Unit)
14 Primary Hard Disk Controller
15 Secondary Hard Disk Controller




IRQ Devices used and potential conflicts

0 This IRQ is used within the system board for system timing. If a conflict arises with this IRQ chances are the system board is bad, use a diagnostic program to determine if this is the case.
1 This IRQ is assigned to the keyboard. Its never available to other add-in cards. Again if this is the problem, its most likely a problem with the system board.

2 This IRQ was assigned to older EGA video cards. Beware, IRQ 9 uses IRQ to communicate with the CPU, therefore this IRQ should only be used under extreme circumstances.

3 This IRQ is assigned to the serial ports: COM 2, and COM 4. Avoid setting other devices to this IRQ since mice, modems, and other devices are set to use this IRQ.

4 This IRQ is assigned to the serial ports: COM 1, and COM 3. Remember IRQ lines for the most part cannot be shared, so generally you can't have devices on COM 1 and COM 3 that are both active and working.

5 This IRQ is assigned to a secondary printer port LPT2, but in the absence of a second printer port, it is used primarily for sound cards, or as an alternative IRQ for the COM ports.

6 This IRQ is assigned to the diskette controller. Few if any devices leave this IRQ as an option, since most systems have a floppy drive built into them.

7 This IRQ is assigned to the first parallel port LPT1, its also made available to other add-in cards, but should not be used for anything except the printer port to avoid conflicts.

8 This IRQ is reserved for the internal real-time clock. This line is never available to other add-in cards. If there is a conflict here, its an indication of a motherboard problem.

9 This IRQ uses IRQ 2 to talk to the CPU, so it has a high priority. Its generally used for network cards.

10 This IRQ is left open for network cards, sound cards, SCSI host adapters.

11 This IRQ is a common one for SCSI host adapters, but can also be used for a variety of other devices.

12 This IRQ is used for the PS/2 style mouse port included on many motherboards. If the PS/2 mouse port is enabled in the system's setup program, and you're using a PS/2 connection mouse, don't use this port for anything else, otherwise its an available one.

13 This IRQ is reserved for the Numeric Processing Unit (math coprocessor) It is never available for anything else.

14 This IRQ is assigned to the primary hard drive interface

15 This IRQ is assigned to the secondary hard drive interface.

Viewing your current IRQ assignments

To view your current IRQ assignments you can open Device Manager.
1. Click on START, click on CONTROL PANEL.
2. Click on Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click on System.
4. Click on the Hardware tab.
5. Click the DEVICE MANAGER Button.
Once you have Device Manager open, select VIEW from the toolbar menu and then click Resources by Type.

Double click on Interrupt Request (IRQ) as seen in fig



note a soundcard clashes with a video card

in this case you must change the resource

Changing IRQ Settings

Warning: Changing system resources such as IRQ channels can result in your computer not functioning correctly, always make a note of the settings before you change anything so you can restore them back if required.

If you do have a conflict and need to change an IRQ setting:
1. Right click on the device in the list (see above) and then select properties.
2. Click the Resources tab.
3. Remove the tick from the Use automatic settings option.
4. Select a non-conflicting configuration from the pull down box.
5. Click OK
You may find you cannot manually change your IRQ settings (the Use automatic settings will be greyed out), this is usually related to the ACPI function used by Win XP.

To resolve conflicts with PCI or ISA cards try manually setting them in your motherboard's BIOS or try a different slot for the newly installed device, you will usually find that by changing the slot you will change the IRQ channel as well.

I hope this infomation proves useful in resolving you problem as always

if you need further help on this issue my msn is

admin@skyfxlmedia.com
9. mk2 latency fix
Dear all

Many users have said that they feel their mk2s drivers , have too high latency and make scratching fast impossible
and they have quality issues

i was not happy to acept this notion and one morning when i was bored at collage

i thought to my self what about asio 4 all

so me and the wonderful cioce

have been experimenting for the past few days


with asio 4 all we have been able to achieve the tiny latency of 2ms this is an amazing latency for most cards

So how do you do it?

1. Pick up a copy of Asio for all

www.asio4all.com



for windows 2000/xp

2.
install it

3.
Go to the virtual Dj Sound Config Page

(setup for time code)

and choose ASIO DRIVER

> ASIO FOR ALL

and headphone mode

if you don’t intend to use time code choose NO INPUTS

now press asio Settings



on this page select the mk2 icon with your mouse and enable it,

4. now close the settings

go to the performance tab and choose latency 2ms

FOR TIME CODE USERS:
5. choose time code as inputs and now go to the time code config window and press AUTO Configure

you should now have 100% time code

at the amazing latency of 2ms you can now do very fast actions on your time code


Note for dual core users

we have noticed there is a possibility on some dual core pcs this could increase your cpu taxation this should not be too much but if it proves to be adverse try lowering your performance tab



I aslo believe you can solve this

by pressing ALT + CONTROL + DELETE

and on task manager look at processes and then Asio 4 all

right click and look for assignments and choose a single core


I hope this helps you


and thanks to Cioce for all your Testing and Great work

Regards Skyfxl :)
8.

broadcasting

[color=green]In this guide I will talk about the technical aspects and legal aspects of internet broadcasting I hope it proves useful to you :)



image of option screen use this if u get stuck on where to place things :)

Bits you need


1 x computer


A connection to the internet preferably a USB modem

USB modem :


Router:


I will talk more about routers near the end of this guide as they have a different setup

At least 128 upload speed
Speed Test

And port 8000 unblocked on your firewall or the port you wish to use (not sure which port don’t worry il explain in moment :) )

There Are two basic options you can choose when using a USB modem


Please now proceed to the recording Tab of Vdj and go to broadcasting

And then broadcasting options

You will notice 2 options …

1.

Use Virtual DJ as a server :

this option allows you to use your own computer to broadcast ,

Available formats for this mode :

Are Shoutcast - mp3 or ice cast .ogg

Shout cast is in my opinion the best option here as mp3 will play in any player that supports streaming


Now you are asked to pick a bit rate , try 96kbs to start with and if you find this lags lower it , especially on slower connections

You are now asked to give a name to your stream

Call it what u wish to

Then you are asked to pick a number of listeners :

to work out how many listeners you can support , use this sum every listener takes up 14 kb of your memory so if you have 512 of ram and then you consider how much ram your applications need of this
You can have a rough idea of how many to choose , start low until you have that many tuned in ,

Remember the amount of bandwidth you have and your upload speed are also very important factors in picking the number of listeners you will allow



Please also take a moment to read the legal advise in the next section..:)

another important thing is

its crucial that on your firewall you unblock port 8000 or you cannot stream!
Here is the guide to adding an exception to windows firewall
http://www.brooksnet.com/setup/firewallsetup-sp2.html
for other firewalls consult your manual or ask your system admin still not sure email me at admin@skyfxlmedia.com il do my best to help 

Option Two:

Stream to an external server

For this you need a host to host your external servers

International copyright law states that to play copyrighted music you need to pay royalties and have a licence for non private purposes , so if you intend your station to be listened to by any one else except your friends (about 10 of them)

You need to apply for a internet broadcasting licence

This can be done in two ways

You can pay for a hosting service which acquires a licence for you up to a certain number of listeners ie

Live 365!
however if you wish to make money from the station or advertise or have larger listener numbers you need to arrange to pay royalties also via a pro package.

or you can use a free host such as listen 2 my radio

such as listentomyradio!

and pay for a licence separately

for citizens of the Eu you can purchase a licence here

prslicencing

Now lets talk about the setup ..

in this mode you have the same options again


Available formats for this mode :

Are Shoutcast - mp3 or ice cast .ogg

Most Hosts prefer that you use Shoutcast


Now again you are asked to pick a bit rate , try 96kbs to start with and if you find this lags lower it , especially on slower connections

Now you will notice the box called host :
Your hosting company will provide the following info

Address : 70.84.232.223

Port : 8000

Place the address in the host box and the port in the port box

Now its crucial that on your firewall you unblock this port or you cannot stream!
Here is the guide to adding an exception to windows firewall
http://www.brooksnet.com/setup/firewallsetup-sp2.html
for other firewalls consult your manual or ask your system admin still not sure email me at admin@skyfxlmedia.com il do my best to help 

You will also be asked to name the stream pick the name you wish

On sign up your host will have asked or provided a password to access the server

Place this in the box called password

Now press ok

You are now ready to stream  to your external server



Broadcasting behind a router

a router is a device which allows a connection to be shared between computers ,

however this comes at a cost , your connection to the internet is not direct



your connection is routed

so broadcasting ports are not accessible on the internet so you cannot stream from vdj as a local server

unless you go to your router config and forward port 8000
you will find instructions for this in your router manual

if you find this to confusing or you do not want to bother with this simply broadcast to an external server it will work fine :)


I hope you have found this guide usefull

If you have any questions post them here or email me or msn me at

admin@skyfxlmedia.com

9. midi mapping





 

发表时间 Sun 07 Jan 07 @ 6:32 pm


(陈旧帖子或论坛版块会自动关闭)